How long have you been performing LASIK?
I've been performing LASIK procedures with great success since theprocedure's inception in the early 1990's and vision correction surgery likecataract and lens implant micro surgery since 1984.
Why do costs vary from practice to practice?
There are many reasons: Many practices cut corners in cost by performingonly basic testing to check a patient's candidacy and also using oldertechnology. At many LASIK centers patients often don't get to meet theirsurgeon until the very day of surgery. Their pre-operative andpost-operative care may be handled by non-physicians which saves money. At Chelsea Eye, we do not cut corners in these ways. We believe in doing thesurgery the way I would want it done for myself or a loved one: We do extensive testing to thoroughly determine a patient's candidacy. When it comes to LASIK technology, use only the most advanced, which isiLASIK. We have alternative procedures when a patient is not a good candidate forone type of procedure.I handle all pre-operative and post-operative care myself and spend timewith my patients getting to know them and educating them on the process. My staff and I take the time to answer all your questions and walk youthrough every step of the process. We provide comfort and assurance to our patients with the best bedsidemanner. We want each patient to feel like we genuinely care-and we do!When questions or concerns arise we are available by cell, after hours,weekends, etc.There is no pressure at Chelsea Eye. We let the patient know that thecomplimentary appointment is meant to be educational and an introduction towho we are as a practice. Patients are encouraged to take their timemaking a decision and move forward only when they feel comfortable.Since we are a full comprehensive eye care facility, our patients arepatients for life. We can handle situations that might come up with theirvision or the health of their eye and continue to care for them over theirlifetime.
What if I'm not a candidate for LASIK?
We offer the complete spectrum in vision correction procedures includingPRK, Visian ICL lens implants and Clear Lens Exchange. Patients have thewidest selection and best opportunities in refractive surgery that will givethem the safest and best visual outcomes.
What if I don't have the money right now to pay for LASIK?
There are various payment plans including 0% interest-free financing andpayments as low as $80 per month without any upfront costs. So LASIK can bemade affordable and possible on almost any budget. We will work with you tocreate the best payment plan. Prospective patients are often surprisedthat LASIK surgery will cost you much less than a lifetime of wearingglasses and contact lenses.
Why is iLASIK better than traditional LASIK?
Traditional LASIK is a fine procedure with a long track record of almost 15years. iLASIK is the same procedure except it incorporates the latest andmost advanced technologies available. It is both safe and precise and theonly laser vision correction procedure approved by the US Government forastronauts and fighter pilots. That's saying a lot. It allows for theexcellent results, better precision and faster healing and recovery time.The technology breaks down into two separate components. The first is alaser called Intralase that is used to create the flap. With traditionalLASIK, the flap is cut with a blade. Because a blade can never be exact withhow thin or precise the flap is created, patients who have thinner corneaswere not considered good candidates for LASIK. However, with iLASIK, we usea laser to create an extremely thin and precise flap allowing for a highernumber of candidates. Creating the flap with the Intralase laser is soprecise and minimally invasive that it's similar to etching your name into apiece of human hair. Flap complications with traditional LASIK are nowprevented. The second component to this technology is a mapping system called CustomVuewhich allows us to provide "custom LASIK". The computer creates anindividualized map of each eye so that we can address specific needs. Webelieve it improves quality of vision by decreasing unwanted side effectssuch as halos, blurriness, and bad night-time vision. What we have found isthat many more patients wind up with even better than 20/20 vision withiLASIK because it fine tunes the treatment to create the best visualoutcome.You should also know that with iLASIK, the map creates a safety precautionbecause it will only work on the eye it is customized to treat. We can'ttreat the wrong eye even if the prescriptions of each eye is very similar.The laser follows eye movement with an eye tracker. For example, if thepatient is nervous and shaking it will not affect what the laser is doing.If the eye looks away, the laser actually shuts down so that it will nottouch an area that it is not supposed to be treated. This advancedtechnology protects the patient against potential human error plus allowsfor faster healing time and easier recovery.